Obama ultimately passed his healthcare bill through reconciliation. 50 + 1.
There's rarely a majority in Congress to pass anything at all until a campaign has been mounted to sell it.
And when a president and his political party are swept into power to deliver affordable, quality medical treatment for all as Obama and Democrats were in 2008, and the one method that can accomplish it (and also happens to solve other unique problems facing us at the time, i.e., a crashing economy, joblessness, etc.) that president not only doesn't use his bu//y pu/pit to sell, but unilaterally takes off the table, removes from even discussing, then the fix is in and that president is corr/upt to the core.
Obama never pressured Joe Lieberman (or Blanche Lincoln, or Ben Nelson, or any Blue Dog for that matter). The Democratic leadership could've taken away committee chairs (Blanche Lincoln's, too) of members in their caucus that filibustered a public option for healthcare. They didn't.
The DNC could've taken away reelection funds. They didn't.
Reid could've actually forced Republicans and turncoat Democratic senators to filibuster. He didn't (& doesn't).
The Progressive Caucus could have kept their pledge about not voting for a bill that didn't include a robust public option. They didn't.
Obama DID unleash the attack dogs to go after Howard Dean when Dean said it was a lousy bill. Dean was then forced to get back into line. Obama went after Kucinich, the last remaining holdout on the Progressive Caucus, for threatening to vote no on the healthcare bill, and we all know how that ended.
There's nothing that JoeLieberman (or BenNelson or BlancheLincoln) is doing that Obama hasn't ordered. Obama and the DLC-Democrats want Lieberman there, doing what he's doing, which is to take the heat off of Democrats.
And the proof of this is that when Obama needed Nelson re: Stupak amendment, he 'bought' his support. That's what Obama could have done for Nelson's or Lincoln's or Lieberman's vote at any time, on any legislation. He sure did it when he needed MaryLandrieu's vote.
There could be 100 "progressives" in the Senate and 435 in the House, and they and Obama would still find a way to deliver to corporations instead of the People blame it on Republicans. Because they're DLC, aka Republicans-in-Democrats'-clothing.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
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